Method of protecting cotton bales



March 2 1926.

H. G. HENNE METHOD OF PROTECTING COTTON BALES Filed July 31 1924' MEET Patented Mar. 2, 1926..

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Application meaufnyer, 1924 serial No. #29;427.

To all 'LU/0m may/f concern.'

lie it known that l, HERBERT a" citizen ofthey United States; residing at New Braunfels5 in'thecounty of Cornel` and `State ci? Texas, have invented certain: new and useful linproyeinentsfin h/let-hodsfoi.5A Protect-ingv Cotton Balesfoi? which the following isl a specilication This invention relates'tlo` af method of protecting cotton bales.

Itisl customary after ruiming the cotton througlr a gin* to` bale1 they sameV ready 'For shipment to' suitable points to bey inanutac-r As the cotton turedinto' desired mater-lala lea'vesthe gin, it is; usually the'eustoin to im` inediat'elybale thesam-ein a. partial covering` of bagging?,y which serves to retain the form ol'l the baley agwell asto prevent the loss of" looseicotton.' A-ft'e'r the saine is baled7 it is usually rolled troni. the gin; into' the Cotton yard Where it remains inl` the open,: until it is stored' inthe 'warehouse or transported to a market. During this treatment or" the'lbale it can be readily appreciated-that the` saine is'subjeotednot only tothe aotio'noi'i the elements; while it isstored in the gyarcl, but'ris exp'osodlto dirt duringthe rolling from the ginV into; the y'ardfa'nd also during its handling-Athroughoutl the entire' course 'of' its travel from the ginto the manufacturing plant,Y Where itis converted.l intofy suitable form 'foruse. tllv Will therefore be's'een that' large portions of the'` bales'- otncotton are rendered useless through the action' ot Water, dirt and other of' theV elements; and oftentimes' entire' balesA are rendered' entirely use* less'vfor anyv purpose whatever. lt willfthus bef seen' that large losses are sustained in the cotton industry in the transporta'tionfotI the balesv andi the`v handling thereofbettvee'n the ginand the manufacturing plantand before' the same are converted"`V into' suitableV forni for use.

It'is the object off this inventiony to! treat the cottbn iirbalediorin, Whether' it isY provided With a-y bag-ging covering or not;- in. sueh away ast'o'renolerfit Waterproof' or provideit Witlr a protect-ive Covering, inorder-t'o' eliminate the damage caused by the dirt'or other elements and eliminate Water Where it is'provided With a' Wat'erprootcovering,- in order to reduce thelikelihood-ofshrinkage', reduce the` intlammability", andl tl'ierebyproi vide afproteetive covering' for the e-ntirecotton bale Which will eiectifely preentrvde te''riorz'ition'ot the bale 'from the-tiire; itleaves G'. Hennef.

the gin or baling press until it reachesthe inanufacturer for conversion into suitable tornil for use.` The method contemplates? the iinpregnating*or coating4 ofV thev surface. porl` tion ofthe bale of cotton with a suitable Composition adapted to penetrate the surface' portion'thereo, or tov adhere to the sur= face portion of the bale and-to,the'cottonf'or to ythe cotton and baggingfand thereby form a'proteetiye skin or eoveringentirely around theibale'. i y

The invention embodies; other objeets and aditant-agesJV in" providing ai protection for cotton@ bales,l which are more particularly pointed out in the following description and claims; dire'eted to a preferred method or methodsof carrying out the in'ventioin it be- 'ing understood, however, that various other means and methods may be used for acco1nplishing the result'so't the inventionywhich are clearly Withiirthe spirit and scope of the invention as described and claimed.

Y In the drawingi'orniing a' part oi' this ap'- p-litation tlie'iigure illustrates a portion of a'cottonlbale, showing the"protectivel skin on the surface ot the bale, formed asa result of the treatment prescribed by this present method.

As is Well known in the art, the'eottonis usually/rbaled in". compressedA toi-1nA and retainediby a' plurality of steel'bands'in` bales ofA predetermined size- Well known inthe art', and are' usually. provided with a covering1 or bagging or similar material to protect the baless' In the present' oase; however, it is hnniaterial-whether the bagging is provided onthe bale or notgfas the necessity therefor is elifn'iihated;

The'balesfof Cotton' in'the usual formi are iirst subjected toV a' coating' or inipregnating treatment' with a suitable' solution which may be applied by either suspending the bale roin'asuitable Carrier in'a Vat containingthe solutioinfspraying the solution onto tliebale Within suitableChamber, or applying it with la brush-or the like'- by hand', so that a portionl of the outer surface of the cotton of' the entire bale is inipregnatedwit'h some' of this solution; In the drawing,` 1 indicates the,v cotton' bale;` Whith isboundj in corn-pressed' forni for shipment by the'usual band' 2, to orin a' baileg The impregnated skin.y portion of' the bale, Which isl` impregnat'edf antl absorbs ythe: solution with' Whieh it is treated is? intlieatedat 3; in these'otional portion thereof; by the-'heavy sectiorrl-i'ne.

It has been found by practical experiment that the treatment of a cotton bale with a suitable solution will effect the impregnation of the outer surface portion of the bale so that the cotton forming the outer portions of the bale will absorb a portion of said solution, which absorption or impregnation is of shallow depth, as indicated in the drawing, and which causes the fiber and loose portions of the cotton in the bale to be laid down firmly against the surface of the bale so that the solution will cause an adherence of the fiber and providev an impervious coating over the remaining portion of the bale, which is Water-proof, moisture-proof, dirt proof, and is substantially exible so that it will not crack or break.

A suitable form of solution which has been found by experimentation to have the properties adapted for use in connection with the present invention are the commercial forms ofA flexible varnishes manufactured for use in coating automobile tops and balloons.

` Following the treatment with solutions for coating the bale as indicated, the same is conveyed to a suitable drain board for allowing the excess solutionto be drained off, after which it is conducted to a suitable drying chamber heated to a suflicient temperature to accelerate the drying of the solution on the bale, it being understood, however, that if desired, the bale may be left in the atmosphere to dry, but which has been found to be disadvantageous in carrying out the method, as the drying of the bale can be accomplished more rapidly in a suitable drying chamber.

A suitable form of solution is used, Vwhich will provide an impervious covering for the cotton of the bale impregnated therewith, which, in dry form is substantially hard, but yet flexible, in order that the same Will not crack during the handling of the bale in shipment and the like. lhile the coating slightly discolois the cotton on the surface of the bale, the penetration is only slight, so that only a small portion of the cotton bale is rendered useless as first grade material. However, it has been found that the treated portion of the cotton may be further treated to remove the composition therefrom, in which form the cotton Which normally forms the exterior of the bale is highly useful as a second grade of material.

The coating or skin provided on the cotton bale prevents the deterioration of the remaining cotton iii the bale, and excludes Water and other forms of moisture from said bale, While at the same time reducing the likelihood of shrinkage, during shipment in baled form, and materially reduces the inflammability of the cotton. It should, therefore, be readily appreciated that a method'has been provided for treating cotton bales with a suitable form of waterproofing solution,l Which Will effect the inipregnatioii of the surface portion of the bale, providing an impervious fieXible protecting skin on thebale, having the advantages above pointed out.

-tion of the bale, it is to be understood that such material may be used as will only form a protective coating adhering to the surface of the bale or such a material as will form a protective covering either adhering to the surface of the bale or impregnating the sui'- face portion which may be of a substantially impervious character, but which is not necessarily Waterproof, as it has been found that under such conditions, a coating which is not Waterproof can be provided on the surface of the bale at a considerably Smaller expense due to the ingredients used being of smaller cost than applying the Waterproof covering. It has also been found that a non-waterproof covering serves to protect the contents of the bale in the samemanner as a Waterproof covering, and that it is considerably easier to protect the bale against moisture or Water than from the destructive action of dirty and other elements.

That is claimed is:

l. A method of treating cotton bales consisting in applying lto said bale a solution adapted to partially impregnate the bale around the surface portion, draining the excess solution from the bale and subjecting the bale to a drying treatment, foi drying the remaining solution thereon to form a protective covering over the inte-rior portion of said bale.

2. A method of treating cotton bales to provide a protective surface onthe bale consisting in applying to said bale a solution U0 adapted to form with the outer surface portion of the bale a protective covering for the interior thereof.

8. A method of treating cotton bales consisting in applying to said" bale a solution adapted to form with the outer surface poi-- tion of the bale, a flexible moistureproof protective covering for the interior thereof.

t. A method of treating cotton bales to provide a protective covering on the bale consisting in applying to said bale a solution adapted to form on the outer surface portion thereof an impervious moisture proof covering.

5. A method of treating cotton bales consisting in subjecting the surface portion of the bale with a solution adapted to forni therewith a protective covering for the contents of the bale.

6. A method of treating cotton bales conssting n applying a Composition to the Sur-v face of the bale to form therewith a protec-v porton of the bales, drying said solution thereon to form a protective Covering on the bale during transportation, subsequentl y separating the covering portion from the re lnainder yofthe bale for use and separating 10 the cotton content of the covering portion from the remaining portion.

In testimony whereof I ax my signature.

HERBERT G. HENNE. 

